Mission Based Marketing: An Essential for Charities and Churches + All New FREE Webinar

By Melanie M. Swift MNM

When consulting nonprofit administrators and talking about Mission Based Marketing, I have found that many individuals involved in nonprofit operations, especially those in small grassroots organizations, carry the belief that their organization is not a business. I suppose the term “business” lends a for-profit connotation, and makes many nonprofit leaders feel that it violates their charitable mission. It has been my goal to make these emerging leaders aware that increased organizational capacity can only be generated if they begin to undertake administrative tasks that were once found only within for-profit entities.

With the increased competition that is becoming apparent within the sector, one such critical task is adequate marketing of the organization. Market-driven nonprofit organizations are implementing a variety of market strategies in order to fulfill their mission, meet their programmatic goals, and achieve long-term financial stability through Mission Based Marketing.

In the nonprofit sector, Mission Based Marketing incorporates focusing on the needs of your constituents and planning to satisfy those needs over time. Program services to clients are the primary reason that nonprofit organizations exist. Therefore, it is critical to know how to plan Mission Based Marketing programs. To become highly effective, begin with understanding your program’s target markets. You’ll need to identify what groups of potential clients exist, what their needs are, what groups you’d prefer to serve, and what programs you might develop to meet their needs through Mission Based Marketing.

Business Plans

Market Research

SWOT Analysis

Strategic Plans

Website Development (A must in today’s technology-driven world!)

Search Engine Optimization

Social Media Marketing

Corporate Branding

Keep in mind that an essential aspect of Mission Based Marketing is continuously developing a positive self-image for the organization. The relationship between price and perceived value is nowhere more evident than in the nonprofit sector. Thus every organization must find ways to make clients believe your programs or services have the most value.

Careful Mission Based Marketing planning allows a nonprofit organization to position itself best to compete for all kinds of support, including funds, by looking systematically at Mission Based Marketing, image, constituents, competitors, resources, strengths, and weaknesses, and then devise strategies to gain more favorable position in the competitive marketplace. Ultimately, adequate Mission Based Marketing will help your organization to meet its strategic goals, whether they are to increase revenue, expand your client base, or promote your organization in a new market.

2) You must have a Plan; Make a Thorough Business Plan: You will quickly discover, when starting a nonprofit, that a nonprofit organization is a business. In order to survive, a nonprofit ‘business’ must have as much money coming in as it has services and expenses going out. Have you written a realistic business plan?

4) You must Register: In the US registration is required in most states when starting a nonprofit. Some people think they don’t have to register and since they are “nonprofit” they won’t get in trouble. Wrong! Registration of nonprofits, paid solicitors and fundraising counsels protects citizens from becoming victims of fraud and helps to maintain a responsible environment for charitable work.

5) You Must keep good records: As a business, the organization will be required to file various reports of business activity when starting a nonprofit. You just can’t make things up thinking that you won’t be held responsible. If you are not organized, learn to be before starting a nonprofit organization.

6) You Must have a Funding Plan: Raising money is a tough and competitive requirement of most nonprofit organizations when starting a nonprofit. If your experience with raising funds was through attending a dinner, golf outing, bake sale or car wash, you need help with fundraising. Without funding, there is no way to sustain a nonprofit organization.

8) Do not Misjudge Time Required to run a Great Nonprofit: Operating a nonprofit organization is not a hobby. If you think, when you think about starting a nonprofit, that you can run a nonprofit organization part-time, you need to have others helping you or you will fail. When you consider that it is a business and is subject to filing and reporting requirements in addition to service work, you quickly realize it requires a full-time commitment.

9) Building an Effective Board is Essential: Leadership is critical when starting a nonprofit and an effective board is one that is composed of talented, dedicated and connected people are best. Your board should add integrity to your work, offer access to funding, provide some of the expertise you need and be dedicated to your mission.

10) Make sure to have the Very Best Talent Involved: At a minimum, you will need very professional help that fully understands all aspects of the nonprofit industry, when starting a nonprofit. Some of the key specialized professionals do not need to be on staff, and can be retained only as needed. The same is true for Fundraising efforts; you need access to professionals that fully understand nonprofit fundraising. For key areas of nonprofit organization reporting and management you are best served hiring professionals who fully understand the legalities of reporting the collections and dispersal of funds. Having systems set up by professionals in the nonprofit world will save you money, time and possible major violations along the way!